Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-06-18
THE "NOWS OF LUDWIG"
TRAGIC ENDING OF A STRANGE MA
MA OF savARiAN MGIDeNS.

MA OF sAvARiAN MsIOeNS.
Two Young Rar"n-ssss Commit Suicide
Mt the Very spot Where the Mad King
Drowned Him.eIf-History of "a Pecu-
liar Mania.
A curious feminine mania is called to
mind by the recent tragic news from Mu-
niCh. Two Young ladies OF that city
barOncsses-have committed suicide by
drowning III the Starnberg lake, at the
very spot where the mad King Louis
drowned himself last year The names
Of these ladies are familiar TO all who
have been admitted to the best Munich
society. They were sisters, aged % and
26. and were famed for their beauty.
Their family is "A very noble and wealthy
one. The mania 10 which they fell vic
tins had Its origin fifteen or sixteen years
ago. The young king was then at the
height Of his romantic fame. His ideally
handsome likeness was 10 be seen every
where and everywhere you heard talk Of
his poetic melancholy, his romantic spirit,
and his confirmed celibacy. Naturally he
became an object of intense interest 10
sentimental Young ladies.
SILLY TALE.
Presently, among the other absurd tales
that were told Of him, there went abroad
the story that he spent most of his time
iu wandering about his kingdom in dis
guise He haunted shady lanes and ro-
mantle spots, seeking for some fair maiden
who should be his chosen bride. Well,
this silly tale was believed and set thou
sands OF hearts TO tiutrering. Each maiden
wondered if she would be his choice if lie
chanced TO meet her under the lime trees.
And she hesitated 10 plight her troth 10
her village lover until she should have had
chance To meet the king.
So il came TO pass that i'll the village Of
Bertoldshofen, in the romantic mountain
region Of southern Bavaria, the msidens
formed themselves into sort Of sister
hood. They pledged themselves TO each
other not TO marry until they were sure
the king had passed them by. Each was
10 wear his likeness constantly near her
bosom, and each was 10 choose for herself
secret bower where at eventide she
should await his coming. A more silly
scheme, probably, never WAS devised
by the silly brains Of love sick school girls
But more than q score of Bsrtoldshofen
msidens entered into it with the zeal and de-
yotion of nuns. The fame of this sisterhood
spread TO other villages, to towns, and
cities-nay, TO Munich itself. Rustic
wenches and the petted beauties Of prncely
palaces alike caught the mad disease.
Within q year not less than 10 900 young
women. all through Bavaria, had taken
upon themselves the ''vows of Ludwig"
and were waiting for their king
FREED FROM THEIR vows
In time many of these girls imagined
they had been seen and passed by by the
king, and, thus freed from their vows, ac-
cepted humber husbands. Others grew
tired Of waiting and broke their vows.
Still others waited and waited in vain,
until all other suitors had passed them by;
and they are waiting still and will be
waiting all their lives. But as the ranks
of the original sisterhoods We're thinned
new recruits were added, and the brides
of Ludwig were still counted by thou
sands. Ii is estimated that there were no
less than .UOO Of them at the time Of his
suicide. When the news of that tragedy
became known they forthwith put ON
mourning and called themselves 'the wild
ows of Ludwig" Many of them took sol
emn VOWS of life long celibacy, as u token
of faithfulness to his memory.
Among these latter two Of the most de-
voted were the young baronesses of Mu-
mich To whom We have referred. They
constantly wore the deepest mourning,
secluded themselves from all social pleas
ures, and drove themselves into confirmed
melancholy. Every week they went to
Starnberg and threw garlands of flowers
into the water at the very spot where the